The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-03-12
LIFE IN A PARKWAY PLACE.
dow the Hamals or Porters of CONSTANT
nop1e Live at Home.


nople Live at Home.
Far up that ancient river Hays, on
either side, is many village where al
most every house has a man at work in
Constantinople, for the farming of these
villages is just about as ancient as the
river, and needs outside help to hold its
own year by year. And as there is no
bank in Anatolia and no system of
postal notes, sometimes from five to ten
per cent. of the hamars earnings is
consumed by the sharp polltzadji, for
stantinople to the old home.
These Armenian women and girls
whom they left behind them are usual
ly robust, as well as the men. Indeed,
any one born there with frail constitu-
ton dies before long running this
gauntlet of infantile disease and ex-
posure, so that only the strong are left
And the two-pence worth per day on
which they live, of course bread and
curds, or hulled wheat and simple
soups, helps to develop beautiful teeth
and bones, good digestion, and iron
muscles. Some years ago an American
doctor, practicing in Sivas. told me it
was not at all uncommon for a village
woman to take her child, one or two
days old, on her back and walk three
miles to town to inquire of him If every
thing was all right with them. But
when the doctor asked one of them,
why don't you learn to read?" she an
swered, with that peculiar shrug of her
magnificent shoulder, ugh, you get
out. What can a COW learn" And
some of them are about as awkward in
handling q needle, too, as COW would
be.
When hamal. or custom-house por
ter, returns, after years at Stamboul, he
naturally brings with him new ideas.
/ know one who presented his wife with
a full set of civilized spoons, knives
and forks; but she promptly traded
them off and turned again to rely solely
on the great wooden spoon of her an
clients and on fingers. Another steadily
refused to sell his daughter till the vii
layers made him pay S75 for girl his
bov wanted. Other discourse learnedly
on custom house tricks and on the diff
ferent European linguas. Some Of
them are quite eager for the mental I'M
provement of their women and chill
dren. | visited a small village near
Sivas, which has good school for both
sexes, supported entirely by the in
terest on money contributed from its
own citizens working in Stamboul
Some time ago, strolling into an Ar
menian village church, took a secluded
corner. and heard the sentiments IN the
address of the Bishop there, which ten
years ago would have been considered
rank heresy, worthy only an American
missionary Among other excellent
things the Bishop said: Educate
every one of your girls; and simplify
your weddings. Here's one of our
young men with elastic step and beam
ing face. He has future of vast pos
sibilities Rumors of a wedding rise.
That young man goes to town. At
evening he returns, walking heavily.
1ou look into his face. It's no face at
all. What's the matter, man? Got a
toothache? Your girl dead? 20,
nothing, nothing, he says. But / know
he has to-day run 5000 piasters $40
into debt for the extravagances of one
of our village weddings A few months
later for that debt he goes to Constan-
tinople to be slave for years, and
leaves his young wife to be another,
here. Beloved by your own voluntary
slavery to evil custom we are becoming
poorer and fewer every year in this pro-
gressive century" - CO9stGnttnople